Power management systems are used to selectively provide power to various types of power consuming loads. Some power management systems include batteries that are used to start engines and/or generators within the power management system.
The batteries in such conventional power management systems are typically either charged by a primary power or a secondary power source (e.g., the generator) when the primary power source becomes unavailable. These types of systems typically include a battery charger that charges the batteries according to a variety of charging profiles.
One of drawbacks with some of the battery chargers in existing power management systems is that they operate independently of the rest of the power management system. Therefore, the battery chargers provide no feedback to other controls in the power management system limiting the ability of such power management system to operate efficiently and cooperatively.
Another drawback with existing power management systems is that users are unable to adequately monitor the status/health of any of the batteries that are connected to the battery charger. Therefore, the batteries may become unable to start the engine/generator over time due to battery neglect or wear. In addition, since the battery chargers operate independently, users are often unable to respond to situations when the battery has become unsuitable.
Therefore, a need exists for a power management system that is able to monitor and interact with the battery chargers that are included in the power management systems. In addition, the power management system should be able to adjust the charging profile of any battery chargers that are included in the power management system based on data received from other components in the power management system.